Tastes
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Dexter Three Wood Straight Bourbon
Bourbon — Indiana (aged further in Ohio), USA
Reviewed October 25, 2021 (edited January 28, 2022)Neat. Neck pour. Took a flyer on this today. 100 proof finished high-rye MGP for $50 by a company not to far from my house. Why not? On the nose, surprised by the lack of the typical MGP youth. Young MGP can be a turn off for me with a lot of grass or heavy hay about it. I generically describe it as “too green” when less than 5 years. Whatever they did to finish this beat those notes down. I instead get fried dough, like an elephant ear without the powdered sugar, covered in a cherry cough syrup instead. Next to the cherry is a layer of furniture varnish and vanilla extract. The MGP eventually emerges with honey and rye spice. If I have a fault in this, it’s that the cherry note has an artificial quality to it. On the taste, it’s creamy enough to coat nicely. Cinnamon, powder sugar and cherry cough syrup up front. The young MGP high rye really comes in mid palate with a hint of that green note, honey and fried dough. What is different than typical MGP is the sweetness and cherry on the finish. This is the sweetest MGP I have had among the younger MGP I have tried. So I have had three sips of this tonight thus far. No idea why I am so intrigued by it. As I really sit down with it, the cherry coming off as more artificial is the main draw back. Cherry cough syrup is typically not a good note for me, but I like it here. The 100 proof helps it a lot as well. I would drink this over a few 4 year MGP single barrels I have. I think I might drink this over Boone County Small Batch and maybe even Smoke Wagon Straight (thinking about other MGP in this price range). Not calling it a hitter but a solid “I am bringing a flask into the movie theater and want some MGP”. -
Neat. Neck pour. Go flyers! Took a risk on this one but home town distillery with a label that really spoke to me. 104 proof. Four Grain Rye. Transparency on the barrel ages (3, 4, 5, 6 year blend). Sounds solid on paper. On the nose, it is very bright and shiny. Getting lots of lemon zest and blood orange. Bit of ginger. Held together by a bright vanilla. Little black pepper hiding behind everything else. The longer I sit with it, a bread-y rye toast is emerging - covered in butter and a citrus marmalade. It’s actually darkening up in spots as I sit with it more. Starting to get this sweet butterscotch. I like it the more I sit with it. Initially impression was that it was a generic craft whiskey but sitting with it and breaking it down helped the character emerge. Mouthfeel is light despite how oily it looks. It doesn’t give much flavor on the front of the palate. Slight hit of ginger. Mid palate the lemon zest really takes off coupled with rye spice and pepper. The finish is where things get nuts. It just builds and builds and builds. A sensation similar to a hot sauce. It even comes across as peppery hot and that oil shows up here for a prolonged hug. Found an unexpected dark chocolate on the finish as well. Lemon zest, blood orange, ginger, and rye spice are all there on the finish as well. This is a funky one to review. It doesn’t fit my profile and gave me a negative first impression but breaking it down was really fun. It took me into unique places. I think the taste needed a bit of sweetness. Still intrigued to return and see if this opens up.
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Old Forester The 117 Series: High Angels' Share Barrels
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed September 7, 2021 (edited September 29, 2021)Neat. Sample. Oh I enjoy this nose. It is what I expect from Old Forester 1920 with another layer of goodness to break apart. This is a full banana split Sunday with the strawberry on one side and the butterscotch on the other. The strawberry is even more prevalent than the banana surprisingly. There is this nice layer of smokiness and char. Wow, even got a whiff of peaches and pound cake. This nose is so fun. Okay, initial impression was not what I expected. Mouthfeel a bit average. Initial flavor on the tongue was a sweet mint. I’m going to reset a bit and come back, that was odd…. Coming back to it, still the same impression upfront. Transitions into that pound cake with banana runts. Finish brings the strawberry and vanilla. The char and smokiness is popping up mid palate through the finish now too. That strawberry dominates the finish though. Amazing nose, disappointing taste. Taste felt disjointed and lacked the deliciousness hinted at on the nose. The finish is nice with that said. The strawberry gives it a unique feel to other OF. The sample makes me less excited to own a bottle of this though. -
Remus Repeal Reserve Series V (2021 Medley)
Bourbon — Indiana , USA
Reviewed August 31, 2021 (edited January 8, 2022)Neat. Neck pour. So excited! I have probably gone through 8ish bottles of Remus Repeal at this point. It was the MGP I drank to keep me from crushing the rarer single barrels I have. Sadly it seems like the word is finally out on this and it won’t be something I can just grab at any time anymore… This nose is great, one hell of a blend of 21% and 36% rye MGP. It has all the best parts of each mash bill and isn’t over oaked either. Red velvet cake, loads of honey, cherry, graham cracker, caramel covered apples, powdered sugar. Even getting some coconut. It’s a fun nose especially at just 100 proof. Mouthfeel is light but coating. The honey and cherry hit the tongue first, transitions into intense oak mid palate. With the oak is a dark cherry, caramel, hint of apple. Finish is honey and apple. It’s the cherry on this that I am falling in love with. The only time I have gotten this much cherry is on older Old Scout lower proof single barrels, which kind of makes sense considering the era these came from. The finish is just okay here, undermined by the proof maybe but it is a delicious sipper. I’m going to buy a case of these if I can. -
Bunnahabhain 11 Year Discovery (Gordon & MacPhail)
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed August 30, 2021 (edited September 29, 2021)Neat. Sample. The nose is crisp and inviting. Honey covered apple, sweet tobacco, maple covered dates, powdered sugar on an elephant ear. Some fun layers here. Mouthfeel is buttery. Light apple juice initially in the tongue, darkens up a bit mid palate with caramel, hint of oak, and a sour dough bread. The finish doesn’t have much of a transition but getting a nice vanilla on top of everything. Fun sample, does everything well but nothing great. -
Doc Swinson's Alter Ego Triple Cask Straight Bourbon Finished in Sherry & Cognac Casks
Bourbon — USA
Reviewed August 28, 2021 (edited September 19, 2023)Neat. Neck pour. Release 21-006. Sucker for finished MGP, so here we are. At $65, it was worth a gamble for the Sherry and Cognac combo. That price point typically means 4 to 5 year old MGP though, which can be hit and miss. No age statement on this. On the nose, I would say this has quite a bit of four year MGP in the batch. The finishing is hiding the bite but not the grain. I think the youth / finishing combo also gave this MGP a nutty undertone which is atypical for MGP. I am getting this white chocolate too, so combined with that nutty note is like a white chocolate peanut butter cup. Very buttery with a bit of dark honey. Hint of graham cracker. Blast of cherry preserves. This is a fun one to break down. It has layers. Mouthfeel is light and fluffy, oily too. Holds up despite the lower proof. Immediately the finish shines through from the moment it hits the tongue. Sweet preserves, swaying towards strawberry now. Bright vanilla. Brown sugar. Mid palate is this cool blast of grape soda mixed with dark honey. Graham cracker emerges there too. For the most part, there is no break or transition between mid palate into the finish. Those same flavors just carry through. There is a moment when you think the finish will die but it comes roaring back (same flavors as before though). This is a nice, fun easy sipper. The finishing elevated this young leaning MGP and pretty much dominates the experience. The flavors are driven by the finish but the MGP still does well brining that honey into the mix. I need to compare this to Joseph Magnus. Top of mind the Magnus would be superior (though $20 more). You never feel the youth on Magnus like you do here. With that said, I really enjoy the flavors from the finishing here. I feel like those are more subdued on the Magnus despite Magnus being 100 proof. I’d be tempted to get another one, especially if the blends are comprised of more 6 to 8 year on average. -
Bushmills 1608 Anniversary Edition
Blended — Ireland
Reviewed August 27, 2021 (edited August 28, 2021)Neat. Sample. This nose is surprising dense for 92 proof. Reminds me of a dense coffee cake with the sugar and cinnamon crust and balls. Side of fruits and the fruits have a range. Kiwi, strawberries, honeydew. Hint of chocolate, specifically the chocolate they put on an ice cream cone that solidifies instantly. Can’t think of the term, but that. Hmm, getting an oatmeal cookie too. It is delightful, strong Irish nose. The mouthfeel is delicate but not watery. Milky like a 1% milk. Not much flavor initially, lightest vanilla when it first hits the tongue. It wakes up on the back half of the mid palate, vanilla short bread cookie. The finish escalates brings vanilla pudding, hint of strawberry, cracked black pepper, bit of chocolate. Little metallic note on the finish too, like licking a battery. The nose on this was so good, the finish elevates it a bit. All in all I expecting more off the nose than the taste provided. It’s a nice whisky but this sample doesn’t make me want to find my own bottle. -
Neat. Sample - batch 2. Not everyday you can celebrate a promotion at the same time you receive a sample like this. So excited. I have come across this bottle on three occasions but the price tag always scares me away. On the nose, glazed fruit for days and days. Strawberries, cherries, raspberries. It’s ridiculous. Fruit Pebbles even. Getting this lovely, delicate vanilla angel’s food cake. Covered in powdered sugar. Getting hints of milk chocolate too. It has heat behind it too. Usually I can bury my nose in anything like a truffle hunting pig but I have to back off this one a bit. Getting this nice velvety oak now too. Creamy and oily texture. Darker on the tongue than I was expecting and packed with flavor. Brown sugar, Sherry, and oak shine through immediately. Transitions to that fruit covered angel’s food cake mid palate. Finishes with a blast of port, hint of chocolate and glazed fruits. And the finish is super long and even swallowing my saliva brings back a wave of the fruits. So much Sherry and port influence it is hard to tell there is an Irish Whiskey behind it. Each sip is a joy ride of fruits and wines. It is so easy drinking too, goes down like a juice box or a sip of wines versus something 107 proof. I don’t think this makes me want to spend $500 on a bottle but it definitely takes the throne as my favorite Irish Whiskey to date.
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Neat. Neck pour. On the nose, the sweetness is catching my attention. Everything surrounding the peat is very sweet. The peat is a lovely camp fire, throw some pine cones and fresh wood. The sweetness is brighter than I suspected. It’s like vanilla Royal frosting on top of vanilla ice cream. The fruit is coming through again and that is bright as well. Lemon and lemon zest. Next to the peat is a nice independent layer of oak that lends balance to the whole experience. Lovely creamy mouthfeel. Immediately, it’s just very very bright and sweet. Like a lemon Fun Dip (flavored sugar). Bright sweetness dominates mid palate with all that vanilla. The lemon is morphing into more of an orange. The peat is less aggressive than I expected, hangs on the experience like a thin layer of fog. The finish brings in this nice layer of spice. Pepper and clove. The more I get acclimated to it, it is less bright and the vanilla is less aggressive. I would equate it to licking the outside of a cloved honey baked ham that was maybe baked too long or too high a temp and got a bit charred. Quite delicious. It was not the experience I was expecting based on the name and packaging. I was expecting it to be more aggressive. This is one to take your time with too. 30 minutes into the experience, it really started to change and that brought in these extra lovely layers that were not immediately accessible. No regrets spending $130 on this.
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Michter's 10 Year Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Rye (2021 Release)
Rye — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed August 21, 2021 (edited September 16, 2022)Neat. Neck pour. So frickin excited. Got this for retail, another bottle off the bucket list. I have received a sample of M10 Rye before but this is the first bottle I have own. This nose is amazing. I could live in this forever. Curious how is this bottle is because the oak over the top awesome. It smells like an old Rick house in the summer. Getting this lovely cherry and vanilla frosting. The rye brings this nice white pepper. Bit of graham cracker. There is a brightness to it from the rye but it really doesn’t present itself as a rye on the nose due to the oak and cherry. I typically don’t comment about the oil on the glass, but this is ridiculously oily. Interestingly, despite being so oily it feels thin on the tongue. Darn proof. There are some amazing flavors in here though, oh my. Initially it is a bit flavorless on the tongue. Minor sweetness like brown sugar mixed with water. Things pick up mid palate and the finish is killer. Mid palate this is a cherry cordial, the chocolate, the vanilla cream, the cherry. Towards the finish, the oak comes in with a strong wave escalates the cherry cordial even more and brings some pepper. The pepper is the only rye characteristic on this. The oak just keeps going. Delightful pour. The amount of oak on this rye is unlike any other rye I have ever had. The oldest ryes I own are around 8 years. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is close to 12 years. I know the proof is a turnoff for some people but I would gladly buy another one if these when this one is gone.
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